Page 69 of Healing Creek
“Mmm.” She looked at him with the same eyes as when they made love, like she wanted to nibble on him. “But until then, you might need me to convince Jenny that you’re there to help and that I’m safe.”
A flash of heat tightened his body. His gaze lovingly traced the contours of her face and his body yearned to press against hers.
A slap on his shoulder stopped him from traveling any farther down that tempting road. A chuckle colored Jupiter’s voice. “Time to go.”
***
The dense, damp jungle around the facility teamed with life. Frogs and crickets called to each other in the black of night. Creek inhaled the loamy scent of vegetation and decay and caught the scattered scent of other Arena Dogs moving through the jungle. As he and Saturn moved into position near the landing field, the others moved on to the rest of the facility.
The flap of wings whispered above him as hungry creatures darted after flying insects, drawn to the pinpoints of light dotted along the hull of the large transport vessel occupying the field. Each one of those lights would be accompanied by surveillance sensors. They hadn’t expected such a large vessel, but it wasn’t exactly a problem or important enough to merit concern—assuming there weren’t extra men housed inside. Yet he scented only a single male guarding the area and the ship.
He signaled Saturn to watch the ship’s primary entrance and the Dog crouched low in the shadows. As Creek slipped from shadow to shadow, getting closer to the singular guard on the landing field, he barked a low note of concern. Mercury would hear and know to use caution, but not to abort.
The guard stood with his back to the lights, looking into the darker jungle. Smart of him to protect his meager night vision. Unfortunately for him, Creek’s vision was better in any light and the man’s sense of smell was laughable. Creek could smell that the man had recently indulged in strong drink and likely had a full belly. Easy prey.
Creek placed his feet with caution. He’d promised Grace he’d be careful.
The man might be carrying a powerful weapon and a com unit, but he never had a chance to use either. The man noticed Creek’s shadow and turned, but too late. Creek wrapped his arm around the man’s neck and locked it in place with the other—compressing the man’s carotid arteries to restrict the flow of blood to his brain. It also ensured the man couldn’t speak. It took only ten seconds of struggle to subdue the guard. Another twenty and he was securely restrained, gagged, and dragged out of the lights.
Saturn moved up on Creek’s left. “No sign of movement from inside the ship.”
“Good. We join the others.”
With that they separated to join the two teams approaching the buildings.
Creek sprinted across a patch of open ground as he drew nearer the lab. The rest of the patrols had to be inside the building since he hadn’t heard or smelled them outside. There was also no sign of the team. They must have already entered.
Annoyance flared but quickly faded as unease shivered across Creek’s skin. There were no sounds of battle in the building.
They’d planned everything based on the resistance’s information and so far, everything seemed to be as they expected. There was no reason for his agitation and no time for doubt.
Creek sprinted to the lab door, opened it, and slipped inside. The lab corridor was nearly as dark as the jungle, but his excellent night vision should have given him an unhindered view of his surroundings. Instead, everything was cloudy and distorted. There should be a wide vestibule with a corridor with rooms to the left and a staircase to the right. Creek inhaled cautiously. Something bitter tinged the air. Immediately, he stopped breathing.
One step forward.
The hazy shape of a booted foot formed out of the haze in front of him. Its owner lay on the floor, unmoving. Recognizing it as one of his team, he crouched low with another step forward.
Out of the haze the Dog formed. A spray of blood coated his chest. Jupiter’s unseeing eyes staired back at him. Still the dog didn’t move or speak. Grief ripped through him, but a hand on Jupiter’s chest assured him the Dog’s heart still beat.
Creek spotted another pair of boots further into the room. Blood on the floor. His ears flexed forward as he listened for movement. A hint of a breath sighed in the doorway to his left. Another in the shadows across the entryway.
Silent but quick, he lurched into the darkness, claws extended, and grappled with the guard hidden in the hazy cloud filling the space. His claws sunk deep as the guard grunted in pain and pulled away as if in retreat.
The man slapped at him ineffectively, his strikes bouncing off Creek’s blocking arms. Blood coated his hands. Then one of the man’s slaps struck him flat on against his shoulder. A sting pricked his skin. It was nothing really. But it was everything.
***
Grace twisted her fingers in her lap while Feeona paced the length of theHawley’spilot’s station. They’d stayed behind with the ship, waiting for the all clear to enter the facility. Feeona had sent her remote miniature drone into the sky to observe the operation from above and rigged it so Grace could watch on a monitor in the pilot’s station.
The facility appeared quiet and sleepy, with only a few soft puddles of light providing illumination for the cleared perimeter around the buildings. The Arena Dogs had hiked in from north of the facility then melted out of the black of the jungle, making use of the shadows. They’d slipped into the buildings one after another with Creek the last to enter. That had been thirty minutes ago, and Grace and Feeona were both edgy.
“It’s been too long.” Grace lurched out of her chair and tried very hard to fight the wave of emotion that rushed up her body. She felt hot and nauseous and ready to cry.
“It’s been too long.” Feeona repeated, but she continued to pace, arms crossed over her chest. “I hate it when a plan falls apart.”
“They have to be okay.”
Feeona nodded. “Let’s not panic. Something’s gone wrong, but let’s not assume the worst.” Feeona came to a stop behind one of the chairs. She squeezed the back of it in her hands and closed her eyes.
